My hair is naturally black. I was getting tired of how plain my hair looked and didn't want to spend $200 on a balayage color job when I knew that there is only one color I really like. I also didn't want to bleach my hair...I only wanted to lighten it a few shades. I purchased the HiColor Blondes in the shade Vanilla Champagne.

About every month or so, I mix this dye with 30 Volume Creme Developer, leave it in for about an hour, and rinse it out. It gives my hair a nice brownish color that looks even lighter when the light hits it. I also use John Frieda blonde highlights shampoo and conditioner to keep it lightened and looking like it has highlights. Sometimes, I speed up the dying process by wrapping my hair with a plastic bag and blow-drying to lighten it some more.

I absolutely love the results and once the color grows out, it doesn't look brassy. This dye works really well on my naturally dark hair, and I can't imagine using anything else. Each tube costs approximately $6.79 at Sally Beauty. With coupons, that is sometimes less. I have only been able to find it at my local Sally Beauty or online. I think the trouble of dying it myself is totally worth it.

Alright people, just an FYI from a Hair Stylist of over 30 years and extensive training. First....tint can't lighten tint, and this product will lift well on non colored hair. Secondly....hair color stops working after about 45 min, so whether you leave it on for 45 min or over night, the results will be the same. However, I don't recommend leaving it on for more than a couple of hours (I tend to get caught up doing things around the house while processing, and don't always check the time), because there is ammonia and peroxide in the color that has been mixed, and will create some damage to the hair. Also, using a cap and heat while processing will aid in the lightening and brightening of this product.

*If you need to lighten your hair because it has been colored with a darker tint than you want to use this time, I recommend either an oxidizing product, or doing the coconut oil bleaching method (you can google search how to use this method).*I hope this helps, and good luck.

Some background on my hair. My hair is naturally a medium brown, leaning between a level 3-4. I have had my hair dyed/highlighted prob 10 times in my life. I've never bleached my hair, stripped the color, or lightened it. I've only used Revlon box dyed from the grocery store on my hair. The last time I had dye on my hair was approx 7mos ago. I have wanted to go red for awhile & I used a Revlon dye trying to achieve that. But it darkened my hair a LOT, almost black, & only gave it a red tint in direct sunlight. Not at all what I had desired for years. Since then, it had lightened up quite a bit & my roots had grown out probably about eyebrow level, 3-4 inches. But the dye had faded so my roots blended in very well. So well in fact that when I applied the hicolor I wasn't exactly sure where the Virgin hair line started (it was obvious afterwards lol!) My hair is pretty healthy. I do need a good trim, I have damage on the ends mostly from using a hot iron & blow dryer.

I bought 4 boxes of hicolor highlites (2 in red & 2 in magenta) + the cream developer the box calls for in 30vol from Sallys (+ a 20v for root touch ups later on). I also invested in Riveting Reds shampoo + conditioner for the upkeep. I did my research for a month before I took the plunge (& suggest you do as well) & so I'm well aware it's a lot of upkeep (only wash with cold water, use color depositing shampoo/conditioner, etc.) So at Sally's I also purchased the small .99 packs of Ion conditioner, color sealer, & a mask of some sort. I also purchased the protein filler in red red based off of some blogs I read/YouTube videos on other women using this product. Aside from of all of that I purchased gloves, hair clips, a plastic mixing bowl, a measuring cup for the developer, 2 brushes (my hubby helped me dye it), a mini whisk (a life saver for mixing the clumpy mess), a processing cap, a heat protectant spray to protect my hair when straightening to avoid stripping the color, & 2 boxes of Ion Color Brilliance Brights semi-permanent dye in Red & Magenta (for a refresher later on), & then of course the dyes, developerd, shampoo+conditioner, & the 3 .99 packs i mentioned above. Shew! I spent a pretty penny but most of it is reusable for the next time.

I'm making this long & detailed because when I was studying, that's what helped me, reading the details of everyone else's experience. So just stay with me & we'll get through this together. Now, I started with just 2 boxes, one of each color, & 5oz of 30 developer (1:2 ratio of color/developer). I started at the bottom of my hair & worked my way up, stopping a couple of inches before my roots. I smothered it all REALLY good. I brushed it through but also used my hand to rub it in good, rubbing it through the hair just like I would on box dyes. I had plenty enough dye left after covering it all to where I could smother it with the dye really good & still have plenty remaining for the roots. Once it was all covered (except roots), I put my processing cap on. I took a dryer to it approx 10mins & let it sit total of 30 mins then I applied it to my roots. I let it sit an additional 15mins then rinsed. I applied color sealer after rinse for 3 mins, rinse, followed by the ion conditioner pack for 10-15mins, rinse. After it dryed I had major hot roots & regretted leaving it in the roots so long. I had intended to only leave it in 10mins because I had read all about hot roots beforehand. However, I have a toddler who is still breastfed & HAD to nurse once I applied the roots which led to an additional 5mins of processing on the roots then what I had planned. So the color took to my regrowth/virgin hair AMAZINGLY & they were more pink then red honestly but I wouldn't have cared if the rest of my hair matched, but it didn't & was much darker. Their was a very obvious line about 3-4 in from my roots all the way around my head & on both sides. Like I said earlier, the line of virgin hair was very obvious. From that line on down it was much darker, with only a red/purple tint to it similar to what I get when I dye my hair red with box dyes. So I went into this thinking I might have to do a 2nd application & I did.

Next day (today) I mixed 1/2 a box of red & 1/2 a box of magenta, 2.5oz dev, & a red red protein filler (I added this both times - just add 1/3 of bottle into mixture). I applied it this time from the OBVIOUS line where the bright roots met the dark, down to my ends. I did this all the way around my head, making sure NOT to go any higher. I covered with processing cap & took my hair dryer to it approx 5 mins & left it in 30min before rinsing. I rinsed (water never ran totally clear for me either time), applied the remaining ion conditioner from pack mixed with the riveting reds conditioner (which I added some red red protein filler in beforehand) for 3 min then rinsed with COLD water (this is a must! Hot water will strip red! Use cold!)

So, overall, after the 2nd processing it looks much more blended then before. The bottom still looks darker then my roots but maybe that's because I'm looking for it. It's not real noticeable but I still can see where my virgin hair/roots meet the rest. But it's much better. I'm very satisfied with this product & will continue to use it. I wish I would've used the 20vol dev on roots & 40 for rest or at least let it sit longer the 2nd application but I was afraid I'd fry it. My hair isn't damaged at all surprisingly & I will probably use it again in a couple of weeks to brighten the bottom part. Later on I plan to use this product the same way but only with 20vol Dev to touch up roots & then the ion brights with red + magenta mixed as a refresher. This product is great & isn't just for virgin hair IF you know what you're doing. It won't fry your hair either IF you take care of it. I recommend this product as it's bright, beautiful colors! But I suggest doing your research beforehand & educating yourself on the processing job & aftercare of

So! Let me give some history on my hair.im half black/white.naturally dark brown hair.ive dyed it black for the past 4 years.Since i found this product and the good reviwes i was excited but still hesitant because my hair is so hard to lighten.so 2weeks before using this product i lightened my hair a couple of shades naturaly to a meduim brown.(just incase the hilift didnt take) anyways bought loreal hicolor in natural blonde with a 40 dev.waited 40min and nothing.im very disappointed/:-\

This review is for the Loreal Hi color highlights in Magenta! ( look no further people with dark hair, this will rock your hair world!)First let me start by saying these highlights DO in fact work on dyed hair not just virgin hair! (Ive heard a lot of people say it wont work on dark dyed hair)I was a medium brown and went to walmart purchased deep burgundy revlon dye and it turned my hair pretty much black with a slight red tint in the sun. I waited about 4 days which was perfect because I didnt have any new growth so my roots didnt turn super bright fompares to the rest of my hair and used the hi color in magenta (2 tubes was PLENTY prolly a little too much but I saturated with every last drop. I have medium long hair , finer strands but a lot of them) with a 40 volume cream developer and colorful protein filler(this is a protein that ensure even coverage and brighter tone) in #10 red red and woooooowwwwww my hair is AMAZING! It turned a beautiful vibrant magenta/red that will NOT fade orange! This is totally a miracle product for people with dark hair! And for only about 6 bucks a tube at sallys beauty supply you just cant beat that! I highly highly highly suggest anyone with darker hair that wants to go the red route try these you will not be disappointed! ..It does smell awful(like have to take a breath out a window every couple minutes awful) but what bleach doesnt reek and burn your nose hairs? ...I like the magenta because it is a pink based red...it will not fade an ugly copper or orange color or show that way up in the sun. Its a very deep but vibrant magenta pink red thats absolutely gorgeous! I did a lot of research and went back and forth on buying this and im sooooo glad I gave in! Try it try it try it.

Take into consideration the maintence of having red hair if you plan to go that route. Wash less, waaaay less( if you like to scrub your hair everyday red is not for you), use cold water on hair when washing(no you do not have to have a cold shower just change the temperature when washing hair..duh) use dry shampoo in between washes so you wash less and extend your color. Everytime you shower it will bleed like crazy(very sad but thats the way it goes)..also try your own color depositing conditioner by mixin a little semi dye with your conditioner or deep conditioner of choice a couple times a week in the shower .one more thing.. If anyone wants to know , I touch up every other week using ion color brilliance brights semi dye in red and magenta mixing the two with a 10 cream developer or plain conditioner and colorful protein filler in #10 red red..applying it to the hair for 45 min to an hour...any longer and the hair will actually get darker not more vibrant. Then rinse and presto. Probably best to touch up the roots every month or two with the hi color depending on how fast your hair grows.

I bought this color in magenta after wanting my hair red for 3 years. I used a 30 vol developer my hair was virgin black and it came out super bright. I had caramel highlights on the front of my hair and now they look like cool pink highlights! everything else came out a deep pink based red and I love it! I could not be happier about this product. Although, the product had a very chemical smell that was annoying but the color was worth it. Also, it stained my bathtub but nothing a little bleach couldn't fix. My hair is thick east african hair that's nipple length (lol) and I required 3 boxes. All in all, great product! Will definitely purchase again.

READ THIS IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU USE 20 VOLUME DEVELOPER ON DARK BROWN HAIR. I've always wanted red hair, but I've never had the guts to bleach my hair. I recently cut my hair short, so any hair that has been dyed is long gone. I read amazing reviews about the Red color (just red) and I decided to give it a try. Me and my mom went to Sally's and bought it, and thinking that we had 30 vol developer, we passed on buying any. We get home, and I realize we only had 20. I have extremely dark brown hair, like almost black. I decided to give it a try with the 20, see what happened u know? We did a patch test, left it in for maybe over an hour, and I got peachy pink hair! I'm happy that it lifted my brown hair!! that must mean it works way better with 30 vol. I'm going to get the 30 vol tomorrow and try it out. I'll update this review tomorrow. I figure, if it doesn't take my hair to the bright red I want, I'll just put Ion red hair dye on top and it'll be fine. I just don't want to bleach my hair. EDIT: so I just finished my hair, and let me just say it stung my scalp, almost burned, although my hair feels fine. I think it's because my scalp is very delicate. ANYWAYS the hair color coverage is very uneven, but I'm pretty sure that's because my mom didn't use enough dye. overall, the parts that got coverage are very nice. some parts are dark dark red and others are light red/pink. minimal damage, nothing a couple of deep conditioning with coconut oil can't fix.

PROS:- I have tried many drugstore hair dye products and it would give me a tint in the sun. This works really well on dark hair - this colour gives a burgundy colour in natural light and in bright lights/sun, it's brighter.- does not damage my hair (I have previous chemical treated hair)- does not fade quickly, the colour lasted pretty long on my hair- very satisfied with how it turned out- highly recommended!

CONS:- stains certain places if you are not careful (if you can't get the stain off your bathroom wall or other places, you can get the magic eraser)- can get messy since this colour is red- can stain your skin (use Vaseline or Ponds cold cream around your face /ears and have makeup remover wipes handy to wipe off when you get it on your skin).

4. 1 box of Loreal Hi Colour in Red Hot AND 2.5 oz of Salon Care Cream Developer5. MIx and apply products on hair5. Use a plastic bag and cover your whole head so it has heat to make the colour go in well6. Wait 30 minutes and rinse hair until water runs clear.

I got this in magenta and auburn. I'm technically really a black cheery fan over red-orange - strawberry blonde anyday. Once I sure did mixed them.... Ooops, but great results.This brand lasts me eight weeks maximum. This is one of the reasons why I spend extra money and get it done professionally the hair salon. It lasts longer when the hairdresser ferm the beauty parlour does it. This has great reviews online and all over youtube, so I decided to go to beauty store and try it out now. This is much better than than that ion brilliant stuffy. I'm more of a burgundy red lover. Nice package. I leave this on for 35+ minute. Works wonders. will try again. I sue the riverting reds shampoo an condition from sallys, along with my Loreal Total Repair five shampoo and conditioner with it. Riveting reds is a colour depsositing shampoo, it used to have henna in it, it is conditioning, and stains your hair until you wash it out. Aveeda, you must wear gloves for. I got the mixing bowl, colour, and the brush and the whole none yards at sallys. It doesn't burn my hair or scalp or have bad smells. I suggest everyone does an allergy test first, I didn't, neither did mommy, be we should. To avoid hot roots (roots be lighter the rest of the head dyed) I dyed the bottom first and worked my way to the top I watch youtube tutorails and did it myself four times.I need are-touch up soon, my roots are comming in and reds fade quickly because their moleecules are large, and they enter the hair shaft fast, and they exit fast, reds are also the hardest colour the get out.) You know that we are all aware of that. Bottom line, great for dark hair for lack hair and brunettes, I have natural light brown hair it works wonders on me,

I've used this product in the following colors: My starting color is a level 4 ash. My heritage is Asian and I have a medium texture hair type.

- Cool Light Brown - Magenta - Sandstone Blonde- Golden Blonde

- Cool Light Brown This is the color I currently use as a root bump because I have golden blonde full head foils. It is a nice brownish color and I use a 20 volume to do the root bump, I leave it on without covering, for 1/2 hour and it's good to go. Next time I will mix it with Sandstone Blonde. It has no brass and is a very natural tone.

- Magenta I used this color for a punk rock look before and it was very nice. I mixed it with the 40 volume developer on virgin hair, foiled the lengths and then for the last half hour of processing time, I put it on my roots, I processed for a total of 2 hours without heat that time and it came out nice as the color was intended to be. However it faded to almost a cotton candy pink.

- Sandstone BlondeThis is a very nice dark honey blonde color and comparable to Palty Milk Tea Brown or Dark and Lovely Honey Blonde. It is a light brown color. I use the 40 developer and foil on the lengths. Because this is a blonde shade we have to be more careful to avoid unwanted warmth. So I have to process it with heat on the lengths for 1 1/2 hours on virgin hair. Then I put it on the roots for 1/2 hour, without heat, and with 20 or 30 volume.

- Vanilla ChampagneI did not like this color because it did not have enough of an ash drabber to reduce brassiness. However I like my hair color to be very cool and panic at any hint of unwanted warmth. Maybe, it's because I didn't use heat for a long time. For lighter blonde highlights I now use a lightener plus a toner for double process instead of doing a single process.